Matt Crane – Chief Marketing Officer (CMO)
12 Years of Full-Time Experience | Lifelong Passion for Numismatics
Matt Crane serves as Vice President of Marketing at L&C Coins, where he oversees all visual branding, catalog production, email marketing, and the company's digital presence.
Since joining full-time 12 years ago, Matt has been the creative force behind L&C Coins' transition into the modern digital marketplace while maintaining the traditional catalog business that's been a cornerstone since 1974.
Early Foundation in the Family Business
Matt's connection to L&C Coins began in childhood, when his father Lee would bring him to the shop on weekends. "My dad would strongly suggest chores," Matt recalls with a laugh. "I would come in on the weekends with my dad and sort coins or clean up the shop or just do random little projects." These early experiences sorting coins and helping with various tasks laid the groundwork for his deep understanding of the business.
When Matt was 29, working in sales at another company, his father needed help with marketing and navigating the emerging online coin marketplace. "We all got laid off and my dad was like, hey, I need some help with marketing and trying to figure out a new online world of coins," Matt explains. "Do you mind coming and helping out for a while? And here I am."
Areas of Expertise
Visual Branding & Marketing Leadership
With a postgraduate certificate in graphic design and an undergraduate degree in communications and marketing, Matt brings formal training to his role. His passion for typography is evident in every piece of marketing material L&C Coins produces—from email newsletters to the monthly print catalogs that have been distributed continuously since 1974.
"Typography used to be my favorite," Matt says. "People that know good typography notice it. And then people that don't really know just don't know that they're looking at good stuff. But they know it's good."
Catalog Production & Photography
Matt manages the entire visual identity of the company, from logo design to product photography. Working with a specialized light box setup, the team photographs coins valued at $100 or more individually, while using stock photos for lower-value items to maintain efficiency.
A Northern California coin dealer friend helped train the team on proper coin photography techniques, including lighting selection and Photoshop processing to ensure images are web-ready. For certified coins in plastic slabs, the photography captures both the coin and its grading information. Raw (uncertified) coins under $100 receive consistent stock photography, with each item assigned a unique serialized number for inventory tracking.
Customer Communication & Education
Matt handles much of the direct customer communication through email and phone, fielding questions that range from technical website issues to collecting advice. Common questions from new collectors include: "What coin should I collect?" and "Should I clean a coin?" (The answer is always no. Original condition is best.)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Matt experienced a memorable surge in customer engagement. "Always answering the phone for a good month and the whole time because everyone was stuck at home. A lot of old collectors came out of the woodworks and decided to update their collection or add more to their collection or start collecting again," he recalls. "It was really interesting to hear their stories of like, 'Oh yeah, I've been sitting on my collection 15 years and I decided to take a look at it and I found your catalog in there and it's from the 80s and I decided to give you a call.'"
Collecting Interests
Matt's personal passion lies with toned Morgan dollars—coins that develop natural rainbow coloration through oxidation over time. "Some people hate it. I really like it. It brings character to the coin and they're different and all unique," he explains. The visual appeal and individuality of each toned coin aligns with his appreciation for aesthetics and design.
Industry Passion & Future Vision
What keeps Matt engaged in the coin business is the industry itself. "I enjoy the business aspect, the coin business aspect and how it's different than any other industry," he reflects. "Coins for me can be exciting and interesting and it's a market in itself, but the industry and the business as a whole is just fascinating."
He's observed how coin collecting has defied predictions of decline: "At one point, my dad thought coin collecting would go away and be like stamp collecting, just kind of disappear. But it's really held on and the industry's probably as strong as it's ever been."
Matt notes emerging trends that keep the market dynamic: "Different like TikTok influencers are now there's some coin ones out there and then like Instagram, there's some coin companies that are doing really cool stuff on Instagram. So it's interesting to see the outreach that coins is having on people in younger generations and how people are getting stoked on it."
The L&C Coins Experience
When asked what he enjoys most about working at L&C Coins, Matt emphasizes the family dynamic and the industry's enduring appeal: "The whole aspect of it is really interesting of where this industry is gonna be in the next 5 to 20 years, like what it's gonna look like. It's kind of an adventure."
Matt's combination of formal marketing training, graphic design expertise, and lifelong immersion in numismatics makes him an asset to L&C Coins' continued success in both traditional and digital markets. His creative vision ensures the company's 50-year legacy of quality extends seamlessly into the modern era.